] >> the president went on to praise senator kerry as the perfect choice to take over for secretary clinton. >> in a sense, john's entire life has prepared him for this role. as the son of a foreign service officer, he has a deep respect for the men and women of the state department. having served with valor in vietnam, he understands that we have a responsibility to use american power wisely. and as chairman of the foreign relations committee, john's played a central role in every major foreign policy debate for nearly 30 years. i think it's fair to say that few individuals know as many presidents and prime ministers or grasp our foreign policies as firmly as john kerry. and this makes him a perfect choice to guide american diplomacy in the years ahead. >> and there is no doubt senator kerry is the right person for the job. he has already traveled the globe on behalf of the obama administration, helping mend strained relationships with afghanistan and pakistan. his 27 years of experience on the senate foreign relations committee put him in the perfect position to tackle ongoing struggles i